K2 Telephone Kiosk Outside Carfax Tower

OXFORD

612/0/10196 QUEEN STREET 03-JUL-09 K2 Telephone Kiosk outside Carfax Tower

GV II K2 kiosk, c1927, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott.

Cast iron and painted red, the kiosk is neo-classical in inspiration with Soanian segmental vaulted roofs and multi-pane glazing reminiscent of a Georgian sash window, the latter with reeded strip surrounds and classical paterae. It has a perforated crown, the symbol of the GPO, set within the upper faces of the canopy and placed above a glazed panel bearing the word 'TELEPHONE'.

The K2 kiosk is located outside a C12 tower (qv), the only surviving part of the Church of St Martin, Carfax, which was demolished in 1896 for the purposes of road widening. The K2 kiosk, along with a red pillar box, is located where the church's nave once stood. The spot is labelled 'T.C.B.' (telephone call box) on the Ordnance Survey map of 1939, suggesting there was originally a kiosk here, but the current K2 is one of four placed in the locations around the city in 1994 following a bequest from Nicholas Medley.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The K2 telephone kiosk is listed for the following principal reasons: * Giles Gilbert Scott's design has special interest for its artistry and functionality as well its iconic status as a milestone of C20 industrial design; * There was originally a kiosk in this location and the K2 has group value with the C12 tower of the former church of St Martin, Carfax.